The Kerala High Court has stayed the investigation ordered by the Thrissur Vigilance Court into bribe allegations against Chalakudy MLA Saneesh Kumar Joseph.

Justice A. Badharudeen was considering a petition by the MLA seeking to set aside the order by the Vigilance court. The petition stated that the allegations were examined in a Vigilance inquiry earlier, and the subsequent report found no merit in the charges. 

Devendran of Thanikkudam had alleged that he was asked to pay money to secure a land title for a 17-cent plot in Madakkathara village by the MLA and KPCC general secretary Rajendran Arangath. 

Mr. Joseph contended that the vigilance enquiry conducted earlier had specifically found that the claim for assignment of land was legally untenable and that the applicant was ineligible for the land assignment under governing law. Mr. Joseph argued that this report was never challenged or set aside by any court of law. 

Mr. Joseph also argued that the mandatory procedural safeguards in a private complaint, including the requirement to provide an opportunity to hear the accused party, as under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, were not followed.

The court allowed the interim stay after noting that the petitioner was not notified according to law.